Parent e-News
This page includes general news of importance to parents. Please follow these links for news specific to your student's grade level:
LOOK...IT IS NELA!! (or at least some of the things we offer our students)
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/21/08
Seven Skills That Students Need to Succeed in College and Beyond
“Even in America’s most highly regarded secondary schools,” writes Harvard researcher Tony Wagner in this Education Week article, “we are not teaching or testing the skills that matter most for college, careers, and citizenship in the 21st century.” Based on his interviews with college teachers, college students, business executives, and officers in the armed forces, Wagner has identified seven “survival skills” that all students need to make it in college, excel in good jobs, and be leaders in their communities:
• Critical thinking and problem-solving – Every college student needs to be able to think critically and apply knowledge to new situations, says Wagner, and businesses are looking for workers who are able to think about continuously improving products, processes, and services.
• Collaborating and leading across networks – “Most work in this country is done in teams,” says Wagner, but K-12 classrooms mostly have students doing solo work. It’s only in athletics and other extracurricular activities that students learn about teamwork.
• Agility and adaptability – Most current jobs will change or cease to exist, business executives told Wagner, so workers need to be nimble and able to use a variety of tools to solve new problems.
• Initiative and entrepreneurialism – “If you try five things and get all five of them right, you may be failing,” says Mark Chandler, senior vice president at Cisco Systems. “If you try 10 things and get eight of them right, you’re a hero.” His point is that the best workers set stretch goals and constantly push the envelope.
• Effective oral and written communication – College teachers and business leaders say that poor writing and speaking skills are a major problem for many of today’s young people.
• Accessing and analyzing information – High-school students may be adept at surfing the Net, says Wagner, but very few know how to do an effective Internet search and zero in on the most important information.
• Curiosity and imagination – “I want people who can think – they’re not just bright, they’re also inquisitive,” says former CEO Clay Parker. “Are they engaged, are they interested in the world?”
Mastery of these seven skills is the key to the United States remaining competitive in the global economy, Wagner concludes. He believes that college admissions officers should push high schools to teach and test these critical competencies, emphasizing them more than test scores or memorized knowledge.
“Teaching and Testing the Skills That Matter Most” by Tony Wagner in Education Week, Nov. 12, 2008 (Vol. 28, #12, p. 30)
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/11/12/12wagner.h28.html
Wagner speaks highly of the College and Work Readiness Assessment, which can be accessed at http://www.cae.org/content/pro_collegework.htm.
FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS
PUSD District Office 11/20/08
Dear Parents/Guardians,
DID YOU KNOW?
PHS and Northpoint have joined PUSD's elementary and middle schools in participating in the National School Meals Program.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
Your child may qualify for free or reduced price meals at school (reduced price lunch is $.40; breakfast at elementary and middle schools is $.30).
The National School Meals Program is a federally subsidized program designed to help eligible children receive free or reduced price meals. Additionally, through this program, the Prescott School District is given an opportunity to qualify for programs which will assist at-risk students in the areas of reading and math.
WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS?
Your child can get low cost or free meals if your household income is within the reduced price limits or free limits on the Federal Income Chart, shown on the application. Children in households getting food stamps or cash assistance or FDPIR and most foster children can get free meals regardless of your income.
YOU MAY APPLY ANY TIME DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR
Circumstances change. If your family is faced with one of the following situations since you first applied for the NSLP, your eligibility for free or reduced price meals may change:
- Loss of a job
- Hours reduced causing you to earn less money
- Family member that had an income included in your original application has moved out of your house
- You have added to your family size
- You have lost your home
- You applied for and received cash assistance or food stamps
For application and instructions, go to http://www.prescottschools.com/fs_free_and_reduced.htm, or pick up an application in your school office, or contact the PUSD Food and Nutrition Office at 717-3232.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
Debbie and Fred Mench 11/19/08
Hello Northpoint Parents:
This is Debbie and Fred. We are coordinating the 1st Annual Northpoint Holiday Bazaar for Nela. We are doing everything we can but there are manpower needs that we must announce. There are only 2 of us plus 3 kids who are going to be very busy. We are asking for parent managers and student volunteers. From what we understand the students want and need community service hours.
This is not only a Fundraiser for the school but a learning experience for your kids as well. We want ADULT thinking high schoolers... Learning to COMMIT to something and follow through with it!... Learning to work in a TEAM! ...and maybe for a few how to LEAD! They learn by example - what better way than for parents to lead and set that example!
Here is a breakdown of what is needed:
* Kids area Santa management, ornament making, Santa shop, Kid's games, face painting etc...
* We also need a Santa.
* Main road sandwich board/sign people (important - this really works!). Need a manager and a group of kids who can do 1 hour shifts.
* A raffle announcer
* Entertainment manager to maybe use PA for live student music and announce things (lost kids, vendor specials etc...)
* NELA food vending service operators.
* A set up crew and a manager for it.
* Take down crew and a manager for it.
* Christmas/Holiday building decorating committee.
* A blood drive has been committed to. They will be in room 120. A team is needed to get sign ups for them. It would also be good if anybody who can donate does donate! I will be the first one!
** For a SPECIAL volunteer!. There is going to be a blind middle aged Mahican Indian who hand makes authentic Indian artifacts. He is knowledgeable and independent but could use someone to look over his shoulder. He will have a seeing eye dog. This is for someone thinking about going into a disability medical field etc...
Nela is now COMMITTED to this event because of the blood drive . We already have PAID vendor sign ups and I have invites out to 60 more! (and there will be more invites). If anybody knows anybody anywhere who wants to sell stuff at this Bazaar (new stuff only - no junk)then have them call us at 928-759-2322 or e-mail DFGifts2@juno.com. Also if you are members of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts or know anybody who is then have them contact us. We have a flyer but cannot release it yet because we are unsure about the Sundog Mascot. The attached files comprise a vendor registration package which we have sent out to over 80 non-profit and profit vendors so far. They are written in Word 2007 but saved as regular *.doc files so 2000 and 2003 can read them. If you have problems opening them and need copies for somebody please contact us. Lastly - the event is LESS THAN 4 weeks away so we cannot sit on this. Thank you.
Debbie and Fred Mench DFGifts2@juno.com 928-759-2322 (Event Coordinators)
DOES YOUR TEEN NEED SOMETHING TO DO?
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/19/08
See two possibilities for teen involvement in the community!!
Dear Northpoint parents/students/teachers,
My name is Ashley, I am an Americorps member who is in search of teen volunteers. I provide teens with volunteer opportunities all ver the county. If you think you might be interested, or know of any teens that would like to volunteer, please print this out and forward it. Below are some activities that are needing teens help:
Youth Volunteer Corps is getting together to bake Pumpkin Pies for homeless and less fortunate of Yavapai County.
We will be getting together on Saturday, November 22nd at 10:30 am. at 1718 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott, Az. 86301 And Sunday, November 23rd at 10:30 am. at the Chino Valley Parks and Rec. Site.
If you are interested in helping out- please contact Ashley Aquino at (928)778-7900 ext:12 ashley@finksdrink.com
We are needing donations of the following items:
~ 4 Canned Pumpkin
~ 4 Canned Sweet Condensed Milk
~ Dozen Eggs
~ Ground Cinnamon
~ 1/2 Cup Salt
~ Ground Ginger
~ Ground Nutmeg
And
We are putting together a Youth Advisory Council. The Council will be made up of teens from ages 13-18. We will be making decisions about teens in the quad-city area. Presently decisions are being made about teens that do not involve teens what so ever, we are looking to change that process. We also do service-learning activities, these count as volunteer hours.
Two meetings will be held each month, one in Prescott at 1718 Willow Creek Rd. on the 2nd Saturday of each month. The other will be in Chino Valley at the Parks and Rec. sight on the 2nd Sunday of each month. Both groups will meet at 10:30 am, and snacks will be provided.
If you have further questions about these meetings, please contact~ Ashley Aquino(928)778-7900 ext:12 ashley@finksdrink.com She is the Americorps member directing the Youth Advisory Council.
FRY'S COOL CASH PROGRAM FOR NELA
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/17/08
PRINT THIS AND TAPE IT TO YOUR FRY'S CARD!!
Next time you shop at Fry's, please have the cashier scan the bar code below after they scan your VIP card. This enrolls NELA in the Cool Cash program, and every time you shop and scan your VIP card, Fry's will donate a portion to NELA. It doesn't cost you a thing, it's fast, simple, and supports our school! Thanks for helping, everyone!
PRINT THIS AND TAPE IT TO YOUR FRY'S CARD.
NELA SUPPORT - RECYLE FOR CASH
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/17/08
NELA has a recycling program to help fund-raise.
Please donate the following, once you are done with them, or they are
broken:
Ink jet cartridges (from your printer)
Cell phones
Laptop/notebook computers (not desktop!)
iPods
Digital cameras
We have a tupperware box in the copy room for you to deposit these items. When we have enough, we ship them to a recycling company who pays us cash for their value.
Thanks for supporting NELA!
INVITATION TO FREE EVENT
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/17/08
A showing of Broken Rainbow “a documentary chronicling the government relocation of 10,000 Navajo in Arizona”
An informational event featuring film, discussion, refreshments
November 20th - THURSDAY 6:30 PM
CROSSROADS 206 (upstairs conference room at end of hall)
NCAT COOKIE DOUGH SALE
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/14/08
Today (or Monday) please check to make sure your NELA student came home with a Cookie Dough order form.
We are asking that each student sells at LEAST 8 tubs of cookie dough. Money is due in with the order forms on Tuesday, Nov. 25th, although there is a late turn-in date of Dec. 1st by 8:15 a.m.
This fundraiser is to help raise money so we can support students who may need assistance when attending school expeditionary events, and to provide scholarships to students for some of the more expensive intensives.
The qualifications for the scholarships will be printed in the upcoming NCAT newsletter, but part of the award criteria will be based on participating in NCAT fundraising events. So, this is a great chance for your family to support NCAT. NCAT is the Northpoint Community Advocacy Team, which is the parent group at NELA.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS INFO (THIS SUNDAY)
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/14/08
Please note: this is a girls school....
( I can send more info if you are interested, let me know)
My name is Joan Reichling. I'm a member of a local P.E.O. chapter. We help women further their post-secondary education with loans, scholarships, grants, etc. We have a two-year, liberal arts and sciences college for women in Nevada, Missouri.
Cottey College has only 350 students, a special leadership program, and educational travel and community involvement programs. So it seems to me that it would be the perfect follow-up to the excellent program you provide to young women at your school.
I haven't yet had the opportunity to meet with you, but I did want you to know about the Cottey Admission Representative event this coming Sunday. She will be at the Community Adult Center on Rosser at 1:30 on Sunday, November 16th. This would be a great chance for some of your junior girls and their parents to learn about an excellent college and some of the scholarships available through our organization. (I'm so sorry this is such short notice.)
Please let me know if any of your girls would like to know more about Cottey College, as well as, the scholarships, etc that P.E.O. offers to qualified students. If anyone wants a ride I would be happy to pick them up.
SEE COTTEY COLLEGE INFORMATION IN FOLLOWING E-MAILS.
Thanks for taking your time to consider this. I hope we will be able to help many Northpoint girls further their education.
Sincerely,
Joan Reichling
P.E.O. Chapter BG Prescott
reichling@cableone.net | 928-445-9159
FREE-THANKSGIVING COMMUNITY DINNER - PLEASE SHARE
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/12/08
FROM SALVATION ARMY OF PRESCOTT:
Please be our guest at the Salvation Army’s Annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner
On Thursday, November 27, 2008 at Prescott Mile High Middle School
300 S. Granite St., Prescott
Doors open at 10:30 a.m.
Serving from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Information: 778-0150
NOMINATE A YOUTH TO BE PRESCOTT AREA LEADERSHIP YOUTH OF THE YEAR!
Tammy Linn 11/12/08
Hi all,
We are looking for nominations for the Prescott Area Leadership Youth of the Year! Attached you will find the news release, nomination form and information. Teachers, friends, staff, neighbors or parents can nominate them! We are taking a more direct approach to get your nominations.
Please contact me if you have any questions! YOU have such great kids...they deserve recognition.
Tammy
Tammy Linn
SW Region Director
Minnesota State University Moorhead
(928) 899-7655
LEAVE THE DATE AVAILABLE, PLEASE
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/10/08
One very important part of the NELA program is the Celebration of Learning. This is a special event that showcases the work our students have been completing all year. Sometimes it is specific to a certain area, other times…general and illustrative. I hope you can leave time in your calendar to attend one or more of the following events. Times and locations will be announced (or check with Crew leaders).
Thanks.
11th Grade December 12th
10th Grade December 15th
9th Grade December 16th
JANUARY INTENSIVES
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/07/08
Linked below is the Intensives request form for January offerings. Intensives are an exciting form of offering elective credit at Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy. Please see our handbook 
for more information.
We are not offering remediation this year for our students. Instead we are asking all students that need to make up credit or erase an "I" to take one of the Intensives that offers the appropriate credit recovery.
If you have specific questions about the course, please feel free to contact the instructor directly. If you need suggestions about what to enroll your child in, please email the crew leader to discuss.
Thanks so much for supporting NELA!!
SHOPPING AT SAFEWAY OR ALBERTSONS
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/07/08
Do you shop at Safeway?
If you do, then you can help Northpoint.
All you need to do is register your Safeway Card, then Safeway will give some of it's donations toward our school!
There is a form in the NELA office - all we need is your name, address and your Safeway Card number. Please stop by and sign up!
And if you shop at Albertson's instead, pick up an Albertson's Community Card in the office. Each time you shop there and have this card scanned, they donate toward our school, too!
GO RAVENS!
**LIVING GREEN ** FOR NORTHPOINT STUDENTS AND PARENTS
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/07/08
An invitation to explore a current topic. Please consider attending with your child. Feel free to pass this along. It is open to the public.
Subject: **LIVING GREEN ** for Northpoint students and parents
LIVING GREEN PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH
YAVAPAI COLLEGE
Details in the PDF file below!
NELA KIDS ARE IN THIS PUBLICATION
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/05/08
Please check out the link below. The NELA kids are featured for their outstanding field work. Great PR within the school district.
Good Morning! Below is a link for the November issue of “Let’s Talk.”
Simply click on the link below. ENJOY!
http://www.prescottschools.com/lets_talk_11-08.pdf
A CHANCE TO GIVE BACK OR A DAY IN THE LIFE....
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/03/08
Hello families:
Time for me to ask for your support in a different way. Not cash, not physical labor, just time! We need volunteers for a few little things, and I am asking you to help out. Have you accepted a fee waiver or financial support from us? Have we waived a fee or two to make sure your kid is with us? Can you spare a moment of time in return?
We are in need of office volunteers. Starting tomorrow (Shannon is out with the flu) and then any day you can spare an hour or two. We will train you and it can be listed on a job application as volunteer hours!! (males and females may apply)
We also need a few folks who would like to write a few simple grant applications. We have one volunteer on this task already, but a few more for research, proof-readers and input would be terrific. A great deal of grant money goes unclaimed each year. If we could access some of that for NELA we could use it to reduce our fees and costs. If you can read, write and use the computer...then you can start the process of writing grants for us.
Thanks to those of you who step forward and volunteer for us often. We have a regular Wednesday volunteer, we have folks who have rebuilt the basketball hoops, we have painters, cleaners and helpers. Now we need the rest of you to step into a day in the life of Northpoint. What a fun way to see what the school is all about, and your kid will hardly notice you are helping!
If you are interested in any of these volunteer positions please send me an email. And if you can work on Tuesday in the office let me know soon!!! (poor Shannon)
THE NELA YEARBOOK
Geneva Saint-Amour 11/03/08
Below is a weblink for the new NELA yearbook. The yearbook sponsor is inviting you to submit candid photos, baby photos, any photos that you think could be published. They are also collecting advertisements for the yearbook. Please contact her directly at
judyinprescott@yahoo.com.
Thanks,
Geneva
From: Judy Turley [mailto:judyinprescott@yahoo.com]
Sent: Subject:
This is a web link for parents to use to download photos they think we can use on yearbook.
The password is northpoint
https://images.jostens.com/?user=1212163&pw=northpoint
Can you send this out to parents?
Judy Turley
Providence Place
Bringing Children Home
928.533.5960